Jono and Ziba Favorites!
February 11, 2017
https://www.instagram.com/brittany_sherman/2017 went off with a bang! Had a few days off, and then shot my first wedding of the year on January 7th! Jono, the groom, was one of my best pals in high school. I met his amazing bride, Frida Kahlo, aka ZIBA a couple years ago. Jono and Ziba are such special and unique individuals, and I’m truly blessed to have them in my life. They live and fell in love in Long Beach- love music, books (they are librarians!), and bike rides. Thanks to my SoCal roots, I’m able to see them from time to time- often at an Abigail’s show!
They got engaged on a trip to Cuba in early 2016. Shortly after their return, they asked me about wedding photography. I was thrilled. So a year went by, their wedding day came, and it was a photographer’s dream! Forgive me now that it’s March, but time flies faster than I can keep track of.
The ceremony took place at the Earl Burns Japanese Garden at Long Beach State. They got married on a bridge overlooking a pond full of koi fish, surround by friends, fam, and loved one. The gardens were a dream to shoot at. Rain was on the forecast for the day, but we were graced with clouds and sunshine.
The opted for a first look, to see each other prior to the ceremony (which I love and recommend!). It gives the bride and groom a moment to soak each other up and enjoy each other prior to the ceremony, family photos, and reception. Their first look was so precious! Jono was not expecting his bride to look like Frida Kahlo! A tear or two might have fallen onto the back of my camera while I was shooting this sweet interaction.
Jono and Ziba kept their bridal party small, each with their best friend by their side. I do enjoy small bridal parties as it usually leads to more photo opp’s with the bride and groom. In this case, Ziba’s cousin drove their vintage Chevy Impala over so we got to take photos with the car after the family photos! It was a treat, and made for some really edgy photos.
I’ll say that this post took me forever because it was so hard to narrow down the images to share in this blog post! I think an additional post for the reception may be necessary, and perhaps another of all the details and family pics!
There’s so much more to share about this wedding, but I want to focus on how blessed I feel to have shot it. Jono and Ziba are amazing and I’m so lucky they chose me as their photographer. There were so many familiar faces, so many happy moments, delicious Persian food, and the best wedding playlist ever.
Check out everyone that helped make this possible!
Dress by @daughtersofsimone
Hair by @citylovelb
Makeup by @meg.e.mc
Undergarments by @lucyblingerie
#ZebraPizzaZine Wedding program cover by @brittwhitakerdesign
Save the date by @crawlincreep
Table signs by @buggatha
Food signs by @friskerswhiskerzart
DJ @vinnie_toma
Extra special thanks to Wedding coordinator extraordinaire- Rhea @avocado_spaceship
Thanks for reading!